Restaurant Review: YO! Sushi

Chef Jessica Hoy tilts her head and her eyebrows dance. A playful grin shows you she relishes her work. The blue-eyed head chef from Ohio stands out in the male-dominated sushi world. She minces scallions into specks like subatomic particles and preps fish with the skill of a surgeon.

Her open kitchen at YO! Sushi serves food fast, not fast food.

Ohio-born head chef Jessica Hoy, who stands out in a male-dominated profession, slices salmon for sushi.

To duplicate a “kaiten’’ sushi bar, it features a 200-foot conveyor belt that weaves a number of Japanese dinners, drinks, and desserts (like chocolate biscuit Pocky) between tables.

Venezuela-born general manager Alex Benitez, who opened the Sarasota location as well as Tampa, says each YO! Sushi has moving food but each has its own layout and color scheme.

Every YO! Sushi restaurant recreates the Japanese ‘kaiten’ sushi bar that features a conveyor belt to deliver dinner, desserts and drinks to diners.

YO! Sushi has an inviting, colorful menu.

The chain, with a handful of locations in the states, has more than 80 between Great Britain and the Middle East.

About The Author

A respected food authority, Mary Scourtes Greacen writes about chefs, restaurants and the culinary industry for a variety of publications. As a former food writer/restaurant critic for The Tampa Tribune, she is usually equipped with a camera, fork, and a bottle of Louisiana hot sauce to handle any situation. She loves to bake and thinks the four basic food groups are appetizers, desserts, barbecue and cocktails.